by Christian Duque
Okay so here’s the deal when it comes to Nick Walker and where I see his future in the world of professional bodybuilding. First things first, I think his days of being a top contender for the Olympia are now past him. Listen, I have always been critical of Nick not because I have anything against him or because he blocked me. If I took a harsh stance against him for that, then what kind of a journalist would I be?
I’m not going to sit here and say that him blocking me or other members of the media is the way to go but hey to each their own. I have always been extra critical of Walker simply because of the fact that I did think he could win the Olympia. He has an Arnold title to his name and he has a New York Pro title to his name. I don’t think he should have won the New York Pro in 2024 but again it is what it is. Que sera sera. We can’t argue facts. We can’t argue what has happened. That being said, look what it got him. He won New York under very controversial circumstances and didn’t even make it to the Olympia stage.
No one knows how bad he looked but he must have looked pretty atrocious if they pulled the plug that close to peak week. Also Nick doesn’t have a coach. He walked away from a guy that knew his physique inside and out as part of what I would consider a domino effect. He also does not have a coach in mind, either. And from the photos that we have seen on his own social media platforms, I can’t say that they inspire a lot of confidence in a future comeback. This is after all a guy who has missed two consecutive Olympias and has been pretty much given everything in the past. And even with all of that being the case, he still has not been able to back up the talk in quite some time.
He is a former North American champion and he is someone that has enjoyed the accolades of the media and all of the fanfare that a top-tier professional bodybuilder could ever enjoy. He has a fantastic fanbase that is very understanding of his many, many shortcomings. Again he is dealing with a lot and I can understand that as someone who also has battled with anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other social issues. I get it. I understand what it’s like to be under pressure. I understand what it’s like to have a lot of people expect you to put something on the board. And I only understand a fraction of what Nick must be going through. He is part of a very small group of physique-based athletes that have been groomed by the powers that be and by the biggest companies in the industry as a future Mr. Olympia.
Unfortunately, we are now entering a stage of Nick’s career where I would say the vast majority of people think his best days are now past him. The fact he didn’t even compete at the Olympia speaks volumes. Can he find a new coach? Well I guess that is the big question for now. I would say the question of finding a qualified replacement coach is as much of a concern as him being able to rebuild a physique that will get him in that first call-out at the Olympia. It’s a good thing he didn’t walk on stage in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago because he would not have done well. I mean look at poor Brandon Curry’s placing. And Brandon always brings it!!
Brandon Curry is a past Mr Olympia and barely placed in the Top 10. The Olympia is no longer giving deference to past champions whether that be past Olympia champions or Arnold Classic champions. The competitiveness of the top guys has become so fierce that unless they bring it on game day, what they’ve done in the past, doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. We saw Derek go from what appeared to be a strong defense, to being relegated to third place. We even saw a Hadi who many of us thought could win the show taking second to Samson.
It’s like the whole bodybuilding landscape has changed from night to day. And the reality of the matter is if Brandon could barely hang on to the Top 10, could you imagine where Nick would have placed with a lackluster physique? If Nick brought to Las Vegas what he brought to New York, he would have been laughed off the stage. Could you imagine if he would have placed outside of the Top 10? Not only could that have happened, that’s probably exactly what would have happened.
And had that happened Nick’s career would have been in the toilet. By pulling out, he got a lot of negative blowback, but at least he was able to keep what was probably a train wreck of a physique under wraps. Now that being said, we did see him looking impressive in a t-shirt at the Arnold Classic this year, we saw him look good enough to sort of win in New York, and we were able to see him pose off against Derek and Samson in a couple of different settings. But beyond that we never really saw Nick at his best. We have not seen Nick at his best in years and the question now becomes is it even possible anymore?
The good thing for Nick is that he has age on his side. He’s still very young and that’s because he earned his pro card at a very young age. Even though he didn’t win it as quickly as he would have liked, he is still very, very youthful, and can still do a number of different things with this physique. But the bigger question in my opinion becomes does he need to keep trying or should he maybe take some time off?
I would be of the opinion that 2024 could have been the springboard for his comeback and it just wasn’t. For him to now look for another coach, work on his physique, and try to get himself back to the top group at the 2025 Olympia seems like a tall task. I also don’t think he should be looking at the 2025 Arnold Classic, either. I don’t think he’s ready and I don’t think there is any pressing need for him to compete. He’s not defending a title and he is certainly not in any kind of condition to try to win a big title anytime soon. I don’t think he should have won in New York, but as I said what is done is done.
The big question now becomes should he even continue putting out content? We know that Nick doesn’t really care too much about pre-production nor does he care about posting photos in the best light. In fact most of the lighting on his pictures on social media have always been something that leaves much to be desired. But then again he has never been the type of person to always take photos with a photographer or use special effects to put himself in the best light. Pun intended.
That being said, Nick’s physique does not look good right now. And I would have to agree with Nick Miller of Nick’s Strength And Power when he assesses Nick’s physique as looking tired. I don’t think I would stop there, either. Not only do I think Nick’s physique looks tired, I think Nick as a person is tired. He has been in a relentless pursuit of trying to regain lost thunder and honestly I think the best thing he can do right now is lay low, stay under the radar, and do whatever he needs to do to get his mind and body back on track to being one of the best again.
I don’t think that he should hire a coach hastily either. I think he’s going to need quite a bit of time to find somebody who understands his physique and understands his goals for the future. He needs a coach that can set realistic expectations and can help him get back to where he needs to be in the most pragmatic and sensible manners possible. I feel that right now everything about Nick is just one big question mark.
Walker fans are absolutely fanatical!! For me even, merely, suggesting that he take a break or that a comeback is not as realistic anymore as it was maybe a year or two ago, is going to earn me their scorn. They’re going to insult me, they’re going to call for my head, but what they’re not going to do is concede any of my points. Thank God Nick has diehard fans such as he does. They will continue to buy products and services from companies that work with him. That is a godsend for him and it is a godsend for any physique-based athlete that relies, in part, on sponsorship money.
I want to be 100% clear when I say that Nick continues to be every bit the star he always has been. Who knows, perhaps his fan base has even grown! That is not the point of this article, however. The point of this article is what does Nick need to do to be a top contender for the Olympia again? I would say he needs to rest, lay low, and all but disappear from the stage for at least a year or two. He can reinvent himself as a commentator, a social media content creator, he can write books and he can do motivational speaking in the meantime. I don’t think he needs to be competing right now.
As always I appreciate you taking the time to read my article, here, at Iron Magazine. What say you? What should Nick do? I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Be sure to copy and paste the link to this article on your social media feeds. It will surely generate very, very lively conversations.